Suspicious Minds
by honeybun57
Summary: A set of short stories for the Let Love in challenge from the Challenge forum.
1. Chapter 1

**Suspicious Minds**

That damn man was there again! Jack flung his scythe down in frustration and glared back at the farmhouse where Cliff was parking his dark blue delivery bike. Every time he turned his back these days Cliff seemed to be either going in or coming out of HIS house. He really wished that Zac had never retired then he wouldn't have to put up with that smarmy git popping in and out all the time. Cliff glanced over and called out a cheery "Hiya" and waved a hand. Jack gritted his teeth and forced himself to wave back. To think they'd been friends once, part of a group of friends that had all gradually paired off and married. Cliff had seemed all set to marry Ann but Jack had stepped in and won Ann's hand instead. They'd been married twenty years this month and Jack still couldn't shake the nagging feeling that Cliff still had feelings for Ann.

Looking back on the years of their marriage this ambivalent feeling towards Cliff loomed large. He and Ann had had some spectacular arguments about Jack's antipathy towards Cliff in the first few years of their marriage. He knew he was being stupid but he couldn't help himself. Ann had eventually given him an ultimatum and, as he loved her so much, he had agreed to stop blaming Cliff for his own insecurities. It made things easier when Cliff had eventually married too and moved away to Forget Me Not Valley. Both marriages had been fruitful and Cliff was godfather to Jack and Ann's eldest daughter, Molly and he was godfather to Cliff and Jill's eldest son, Joshua.

Things had changed though and Cliff was now a widower and living back in town. Ann had immediately taken him under her wing inviting him round for meals. The kids all loved Uncle Cliff and the more settled he became the more Jack became uneasy. This last month Cliff had been around even more than usual and he got the uneasy feeling that something was going on. There were interrupted conversations whenever he came into a room and guilty looks. Their phone bill showed multiple calls from his farm to the one in Forget Me Not Valley and Cliff's place in town.

Damn it, enough was enough! Jack leapt over the low fence around the field and made for the farmhouse. He could hear their voices laughing and joking and the jealousy rose like bile in his throat. He aimed a flying kick at Cliff's delivery bike and it went flying, sending its parcels all over the yard. There were some ominous sounds but Jack ignored them. He flung open the door snorting like a bull.

"Jack!" Ann leapt to her feet, startled at his sudden appearance. Cliff half rose too but then stopped at the sight of Jack's face.

" Don't give me that false innocence." Jack snarled. " I know your secrets."

" What are you talking about?" Ann asked.

" I know all about it." Jack went on, " So don't try to lie to me. All those phone calls. All those meetings. I know all about it."

" I'm sorry Jack." Ann sounded so calm. " We didn't mean for you to find out like this. We knew you'd be upset but we thought we could make you understand, didn't we Cliff."

" I don't know how you could do this to me," Jack yelled. Ann placed her hand on Cliff's arm and Jack winced.

" We hoped you wouldn't find out until after Molly's birthday," Ann went on. " We know she and Joshua are still a little young for marriage but they really do seem to love one another."

" Molly and Joshua?" Jack was confused.

" Of course," Cliff answered. " What else?"

" What about all those meetings you two have been having?" Jack snapped. He was so bewildered now.

" Oh, Jack," Ann sighed. " Cliff has been helping me chose an anniversary present.

" Anniversary?"

" Yes, our anniversary, you silly man." Ann's voice was growing angry. " It's our china anniversary and I thought it would make a great present if we had a new dinner service."

" A dinner service?" Jack echoed.

" Yes," Ann went on, " Cliff helped me choose the pattern. I bought a porcelain dinner service, thirty six pieces."

" It's beautiful," Cliff enthused. " I have it outside. I'll go and fetch it"

" Don't you think it'll be great? We'll have a party, invite all our friends and announce Joshua and Molly's engagement." What do you think Jack? Jack? JACK!"


	2. Chapter 2

**LETTER IN A BOTTLE.**

After placing the chart back in its holder Kai climbed up on deck and, shielding his eyes, scanned the horizon for any sign of life. There was nothing, nothing as far as the eye could see. The warm spring day drew sighs of appreciation from his lips. A gentle breeze filled the sails and urged his ship on. Beneath his bare feet the deck was warm in the sunlight and the distant smell of blossom teased his senses. Seagulls wheeled overhead, waves lapped against the dark blue boat and Kai waited. He didn't know why he waited. He didn't know what he was waiting for but yet he waited. It was if he had spent his whole life waiting.

It was minutes before the knocking gained his attention. Yes, there it was again, an intermittent knocking somewhere off to his right. Kai inspected everywhere along the deck but he couldn't find what was making the noise. There, he heard it again! It seemed to be moving along the boat. Just in time Kai leaned over the deck rail and saw the purple bottle bumping along the wave tops. Without knowing exactly why he scooped it up in the landing net and lifted it safely onto the deck. Cautiously he unfolded the net and took out the bottle, cradling it in his hands. Made of dark purple glass it was dirty and yet it still sparkled in the morning light, it's faceted stopper coated with red wax against the sea. Kai took off his bandana and cleaned the glass, then peered inside. He had this weird desire to see if a genie lived inside there. Sure enough, nestled inside, a paper rose was growing. He turned the bottle this way and that, he could see markings but he couldn't make out what they were. In the stillness of the moment he could hear the beat of his own heart and yet he could swear he felt another heart beating, there, inside the glass. His mind told him he should toss this message from the unknown back into the sea but his heart ached to know. Before he could change his mind he broke the wax seal and eased out the stopper. As he tilted the bottle the paper rose escaped and unfolded on the palm of his hand. Made of delicate cream paper, words in an elegant sepia script filled it from side to side. Kai secured the bottle and settled down with his back to the cabin wall to read this message from the sea.

_My Beloved,_

_Though you're gone never wonder if I still think of you. When the sun rises in the morning my spirit rises with yours. Throughout my day I find myself turning to you to share the common and the rare moments of my existence. As the day draws to a close I look for you and pray to hear your footsteps along my path. In the quiet of the night I dream of you and. Once again, we are one. Our days together are like a secret garden that I visit when my heart aches for you. The words we spoke, the kisses we shred, bloom there in that garden and the blossoms knows that no-one warms my heart the way you do. Tonight I stand alone but I know the same moon shines, the same wind blows for both of us, you are not gone. You will never be gone for as my heart beats it beats for both of us._

There was no signature, not even an initial, it just stopped. Kai read it through again and felt each word enter his very soul. The power of the words soared from the paper, the pain of the separation, the longing and the depth of the love. A certain part of Kai was scornful of this love letter and such emotions but the larger part of him knew that he longed for someone to feel this way for him. He knew he had never ever meant this much to anyone and it hurt him to know that he probably never would. He tipped up the bottle once more and a small curl of hair, dipped in wax, fell out. The curl of hair was pink and so soft it felt as insubstantial as a snowflake. Kai stroked it with a finger and a tear fell and disappeared into it. Somewhere, out there, lived the writer of this note and, somewhere else, the other half of her soul. With trembling fingers Kai slid the curl back into its resting place and then the paper rose to join it. Then, without knowing why exactly, he removed the golden earring from his left ear and added it to the bottles contents before sealing the love letter and sending it on it's way. He watched until the last glint disappeared into it's future and then he set sail along the path it had travelled into his own.


End file.
